A former Howard County baseball star had his jersey retired Monday evening after he was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Aidan West was honored in a way that no other Long Reach High School athlete has ever been honored before. 

His number nine Long Reach baseball jersey was retired, making West the first athlete at the school to have their jersey retired. 

"It's definitely a huge honor," West said. "It's really hard to put into words."

West's former coach said he earned the honor after rewriting the Long Reach record book. 

"He owns every record in this building," Long Reach Baseball Coach Anthony Lyon said. "Truly, I don't think there is ever going to be another baseball player that is better than number nine."

After four years at Long Reach, West was drafted by the Dodgers. He said putting Long Reach on the map was his goal. 

He was honored at his alma mater on Monday night. His friends and family also attended to celebrate the moment that West said he had dreamed of since he was a kid, at a place that means a lot to him. 

"I was four or five years old coming to these camps, and now, knowing no one is wearing number nine again is as big of an honor as it gets, and it truly means a lot to me," West said.